Alonissos: The 5th seminar of LIFE MareNatura’s Marine Conservation School has been completed

In September, the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), in collaboration with LIFE MareNatura project partners, held the fifth seminar of the Marine Conservation School in Alonissos. The seminar focused on the management and protection of four cetacean species: Cuvier’s beaked whale, the common dolphin, the sperm whale and the harbour porpoise.

The seminar brought together 25 NECCA staff members and 11 representatives from relevant authorities, organisations and the private sector, strengthening cooperation and the exchange of expertise in marine mammal conservation.

The training covered:

▪ Modern methods for the scientific monitoring of cetaceans.
▪ Visual survey techniques and passive acoustic monitoring.
▪ Training in the use of hydrophones and the collection of acoustic data.
▪ Cetacean stranding management and the implementation of response protocols.

Theoretical training was combined with practical exercises in the waters around Alonissos and its neighbouring islets, aboard NECCA’s vessel Peristera, covering a total of 30 nautical miles.

With contributions from scientists and professionals from MOm – the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), the Ministry of Environment and Energy, ARION – the Cetacean Rescue and Rehabilitation Research Centre, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the seminar strengthened participants’ knowledge and skills, contributing to more effective cetacean management and protection.

LIFE MareNatura is Greece’s largest project dedicated to the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity. It aims to mitigate and halt threats to nine iconic and threatened marine megafauna species of the European Union.

The Marine Conservation School seminars are a key tool for staff training and knowledge transfer on the project’s target species.

The School will also produce a series of Good Practice Guides for the protection and management of marine megafauna species.